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Japanese children have unlimited security clearance. Also, ridiculous hats.

Kenji (ケンジ) is a young Japanese boy who is a primary ally in the Autobots' missions in his country. Bright and inquisitive, he has served as an advance scout for the Autobots, often reporting suspiciously Decepticon-like activity to them.

Contents

Fiction

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform comic

Kenji first encountered the Transformers during a battle in Tokyo, where Optimus Prime saved him from a near-fatal encounter with Starscream. In this earliest meeting, Kenji expressed at least some prior knowledge of who the Autobots were, specifically that they were the "good guys". Kenji was dumped into the custody of Smokescreen while the rest of the Autobot force tussled with the Decepticon jets and the new warrior, Menasor. It was Kenji's quick thinking that allowed the Autobots to win the day, and in gratitude, they made him an honorary "partner," giving him a helmet that resembled Prime's (which did not seem to do anything).

On a later mission, Kenji was partnered with Bumblebee to track down Soundwave and his cassette minions. Thanks to a timely assist from Cliffjumper and Ironhide, Soundwave and his cronies were routed.

No, Prime, this isn't a bad idea AT ALL

Some time later, Kenji visited the United States, where he was given a tour of the then-under construction Metroplex. He then accompanied an Autobot recon patrol into battle against the Insecticons.

In a particularly strange mission, Kenji was present at an Autobot outpost in Japan when Starscream returned to threaten that country again, this time alongside Blitzwing and carrying Megatron, full-sized, in gun mode! Kenji watched and cheered as the new Autobot city commander, Ultra Magnus arrived to turn the tide of battle.

Kenji's next encounter with the Transformers came while attending a baseball game (in which Takara was a player) on a date. The game was interrupted by an assault from Menasor. As the stadium crowd fled, Kenji utilized his Superion-shaped wristwatch communications device, summoning the Protectobots to take care of a fire started by the lights shorting out.

Marketing power!

Superion arrived on the scene as the Protectobots formed Defensor, but Menasor was soon joined by Bruticus. As the combiners fought on the baseball field, Defensor was knocked apart; Kenji then rode Groove to deliver a message to Superion, telling him to shoot at the Decepticons' knee connections. With the evil combiners' legs shot off, the four small Protectobots took the opportunity to force themselves into the connection sockets, flying the two startled Decepticons away.

While on vacation with Seaspray, Hound, and Perceptor, Kenji came across an island paradise. Unfortunately, said paradise was slated for demolition... by the Constructicons! The arrival of the Aerialbots (and First Aid), along with some holographic magic from Hound, set things straight, and the wayward Constructicons were forced to replant the forest they'd destroyed.

Kenji's next adventure concerned a rash of violence around Tokyo. The Stunticons and Onslaught, disguised as Autobots, went on a destructive rampage, making sure that the Autobots took the blame for the damages. Another boy at Kenji's school, Makoto, was spouting pro-Decepticon propoganda, which prompted Kenji to flash his Ultra Magnus wristwatch at him.

Things came to a head at a public rally, where two hooded speakers espoused the Decepticon cause before an interested audience. The "Autobots" showed up to wreck things, followed shortly after by the REAL Autobots. In the ensuing chaos, it was revealed that the "speakers' were no less than the Decepticons Rumble and Frenzy, and the entire debacle was a plot to discredit the Autobots!

Kenji's next mission concerned Powerglide's attempt to stop the Combaticons from hunting down a cybernetically-enhanced dog. Kenji was not particularly active during this adventure; he only showed up to comment as the dog used "scramble power" to bond Beachcomber, Bumblebee, Hubcap, Pipes and Tailgate to Powerglide's exterior in vehicle mode. Their combined power generated an energy tornado around Powerglide, the ramming force of which sent Bruticus flying off. After the Autobots touched down, Kenji took off his helmet and shed a tear for the dog, which had died in the process. Together, they solemnly watched the sun rise from behind a misty mountain.

Related characters

Kenji's Date

Despite both being in elementary school, Kenji and this girl seemed to be alone at a baseball game without adult supervision (Japan is supposedly a safe country for this kind of thing). She was with Kenji when the stadium was attacked by Menasor, commenting on the fact the stadium lights had shorted out and burst into flame (Well, okay, not that safe).

After the Protectobots arrived on the scene following Kenji's emergency signal, she stayed on the sidelines and did nothing until the battle was over. After Menasor and Bruticus were driven off, she appeared behind Kenji, smiling at him.

Later on, we saw this girl with a group of Kenji's classmates, trying to mediate an argument between Kenji and Mokoto.

Kenji's Classmates

The "Billy" and "Fred" archetypes are a recurring motif in Transformers fiction.

Among Kenji's elementary school classmates are a boy with freckles, a boy with a kitty-head shirt, a girl (see above) and Makoto.

When the Decepticons masqueraded as Autobots to discredit them, the boy with the freckles and the boy with a kitty-head shirt told Kenji about the apparent Autobot rampage; both were upset, thinking the Autobots had been deceiving them all along. Kenji didn't believe the story was true, and got into an argument with Makoto about it, which Kenji's female friend tried to break up.

Notes

For reasons unknown, Kenji appears to be a clone of Toru, another Japanese kid in a silly hat who helps the Autobots out on occasion.